


A flicker of light in the midst of the darkness

by salvatorestjohn



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Arguing, Derek Hale & Scott McCall Friendship, Family Feels, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hugs, Implied Relationships, Multi, Pack Feels, Reunions, Scott is a Good Friend, Surprises, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 10:44:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18364418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salvatorestjohn/pseuds/salvatorestjohn
Summary: The past few weeks have felt like the big buildup, where they're all waiting for the balloon to finally pop. Chaotic, but tinged with excitement is the only way Scott can describe it.Apparently big events, such as weddings, are a big deal in packs. Even if none of them are consciously aware of it, Scott's noticed them all bonding more and more over it, the planning and organizing. Even the ones who have more of a backseat role, as assigned to them by Stiles and Lydia, who unsurprisingly took charge the second they heard.





	A flicker of light in the midst of the darkness

The past few weeks have felt like the big buildup, where they're all waiting for the balloon to finally pop. Chaotic, but tinged with excitement is the only way Scott can describe it.

Apparently big events, such as weddings, are a big deal in packs. Even if none of them are consciously aware of it, Scott's noticed them all bonding more and more over it, the planning and organizing. Even the ones who have more of a backseat role, as assigned to them by Stiles and Lydia, who unsurprisingly took charge the second they heard. 

It's nothing compared to the actual day. Scott's only been awake for a few hours, having been woken up by Lydia already up and moving around, starting to get everything ready without the rest of them. Since then, her lake house hasn't had one quiet moment, and he hasn't spent more than ten minutes in one spot.

It also turns out that the stress of weddings tend to bring about a lot of arguing over if everything's the way it's supposed to be, or who's supposed to be doing what, or something else entirely that Scott's had to step into the middle of and sort things out before they're down a guest or three.

He's not so sure Derek or Braeden would be all that bothered; he's more worried about what Lydia would say if she had to deal with the aftermath of a supernatural fight. He's imagining he'd have his mom's words of it not having a supernatural healing ability repeated to him.

"—No, I told you, he's on his way," Liam says, his voice a little louder than necessary as he stares Aiden down. Something Scott really never thought he'd be witnessing. "He's just stopping off to g—"

"I don't care what your little friend is doing," Aiden cuts him off, and Scott briefly closes his eyes, rubbing a hand over his face. "He's late, and he has my suit. And, since Lydia won't stop reminding me, the cake. So, how about I just go down there and get it from him myself?"

Liam's eyes narrow, and he actually steps closer to him, much to Scott's dismay. 

"Was that a threat?" he asks, the tell-tale sound of anger building in his voice. "I know about everything you did, alright? And I'm not scared of you. So, how about you leave Mason alone, and—"

"Let's just—" Scott quickly cuts him off, stepping forward with a hand out on either side of him, "—take a second, alright?"

Liam keeps his glare focused on Aiden. Scott stares at him pointedly, waiting for him to agree. He glances up at him finally, then steps back. Scott internally sighs, a little bit relieved that he doesn't have to actually pull him away. 

"Okay." He slowly lowers his hands, shifting his eyes between the two of them. He leaves them on Aiden. "Mason's going to be here in ten minutes, okay?"

Aiden opens his mouth as if to argue.

"The wedding doesn't start for another two hours," Scott quickly continues. "It's plenty of time for him to get here, and he's already on his way right now. I promise your suit will be here on time; he's got pretty much everyone's here, alright? So, trust me."

They all know that the last thing Aiden wants to do is trust anyone other than himself, Ethan, and Lydia, and even they're at a stretch. But he clenches his jaw, looks away, then nods. He's become a lot more accustomed to being a part of the pack recently, and Scott will happily take any sort of progress. Especially if it means avoiding a fight.

"And Liam," Scott turns his attention to him now, watching the smug smile wipe away almost immediately, "didn't Lydia want you helping Kira with the lanterns down at the... pier? I'm pretty sure there's at least another two boxes of them waiting if you want to go finish that before she decides to give you something else to do."

Liam reacts exactly how he thought he would, obviously not wanting the same lecture that everyone else seems to be getting on how to do the task she assigned them with. He glances over at the door, spotting the two boxes sitting there, untouched. Making a clear decision, he shoots him one last nod before heading off to grab the boxes and head back outside to find Kira. 

Scott rolls his eyes, but smiles as Aiden makes himself busy as well, saying something about preparing before he has to put up with seeing Ethan all over Jackson. Both of whom still haven't arrived, Scott notices.

They're not the only ones either. He doesn't let it unsettle him though. Lydia's already triple checking every detail of the day, no one needs two of them doing that. 

He goes to walk away, planning on finding Stiles to make sure everything else is running smoothly. He barely gets two steps toward the stairs before Lydia's appearing in his line of sight, as if perfectly on cue. A part of him really is beginning to wonder if banshees are at least a little bit psychic. 

She stops in front of him and sighs before he can even get a word out. Her shoulders seem to slump, a clipboard clutched in one hand and a pen in the other.

He really isn't surprised that she's somehow managed to take control over the least likely wedding to be happening in this town. Any at all is surprising though if he's honest.

"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" she asks, an almost tired look crossing her face. He really can't help but wonder if she was lying when he asked her how long she had been up already and her answer was only a few minutes. By the looks of it, she would have been lucky to have slept that long. 

Scott falters, raising his eyebrows, then says, "because you care about Derek and Braeden?"

Lydia nods slowly, taking in his answer. He takes that as a good sign. 

"You're right," she says, and he smiles. "I couldn't let them try and plan this on their own. Have you seen the two of them? It would be a disaster. They said that they were happy with some... weird, completely non-official ceremony, which," she scoffs, "wouldn't even have involved vows, or other people for that matter. That is not a wedding."

Scott isn't sure he wants to risk even trying to disagree, even if he knew how, so he nods along. Anything that'll keep her distracted for at least long enough to count as taking a break.

"I'm sure they'll be really grateful," he says.

Lydia makes a noise and looks away like she doesn't agree. He can't help but smile a little more at that, knowing exactly what she's thinking. 

"Hey, they will. If Derek wasn't happy with any of this, he would have said something, trust me. And I'm pretty sure that Braeden would have as well. Everything's gonna be alright."

Lydia doesn't seem to be able to argue with that; they both know the two of them well enough at this point to know he's right. Neither of them are exactly subtle when they aren't happy about something. It's one of the reasons Scott's so surprised that Lydia somehow managed to convince them to have an actual wedding at all. 

"Well, I hope so," she says. Her eyes flick down to the clipboard as she gives a gesture of her head and adds, "everything's going alright for now, surprisingly, but with Derek's paranoia, he's making me worry."

Scott glances at the top of the stairs, but can't hear anything. At least not from there, anyway.

He's guessing that Allison and Stiles decided to keep him in the only soundproofed room of the house. He can't blame them. 

"He's still convinced something's gonna go wrong?" Scott asks, but it's more of a statement at this point. He's already spent a good few hours last night and at least half an hour this morning assuring him that they've got everything covered.

Lydia nods and makes a face. "Apparently he and Braeden have made too many enemies. He keeps saying that someone's going to show up and ruin the whole thing. I don't think I've ever seen him this worried about something, and that's scary."

Scott can't help but agree. He does understand though; it's fair to say that Derek and Braeden aren't exactly on the top of the local supernatural's list of friends, or most supernaturals for that matter. That's not even mentioning the number of hunters who would probably kill for the chance to crash Derek Hale's wedding. Literally.

He sighs, biting his lip. Lydia raises an eyebrow, and it might be the first time all day that he's seen her not worried about something or being the one to double check that everything's going the way it should be and at the right time.

"Don't you start on me now, too," she says, rolling her eyes as if out of exasperation. The touch of warmth to her words and voice don't do much to help with that as she meets his gaze. "I've got a pretty good feeling that nothing supernatural is getting past the mountain ash that is literally inside of these walls, as well as the line of it Deaton's created outside."

His thoughts must show on his face or Lydia really is psychic, because she tilts her head. The corner of her mouth tugs up once again, soft and understanding. 

"And I think it's safe to say that nothing non-supernatural is getting past Argent and Jordan." She nods her head in the general direction of the door. "They've got security covered, just like you asked them to. Trust me, nothing is crashing this wedding unless they have a death wish, which, I'll be able to sense a mile away, so relax, okay? No one needs the best man stressing out, but especially not Derek."

Scott laughs a little at that, ducking his head. "Okay, yeah. You're right."

He nods and Lydia's smile grows, satisfied. 

"Good," she says, glancing back down at her clipboard again. "Now please go tell the groom the same thing. I'm pretty sure that if he's left with Allison and Stiles for five more minutes, there won't be a wedding."

"We can't have that," Scott says, a grin already spreading across his face, tone half-joking. "Or all of your hard work going to waste."

Lydia rolls her eyes at him, but her smile doesn't slip. She just gestures for him to go as she steps aside, finally freeing his path to the stairs, and gives his shoulder a gentle shove.

He laughs again, but moves toward the stairs, climbing them to the top and turning the corner. It's probably a good thing that Allison suggested they stay over the night before to get everything set up early, because he's really not sure he would remember where he's going if he hadn't already had all of last night to wander around.

Apparently, that's something you have a lot of time to do when the groom won't stop listing past enemies and potential problems. Derek being this worried wasn't something any of them were really counting on.

Scott finds the last door at the end of the hall and walks in. Sure enough, Derek is there, accompanied by Stiles and Allison. He's standing in front of the full-length mirror that Scott's guessing Lydia had put in nearly every room specifically for this. 

He glances at Stiles and Allison as he goes to close the door behind him. They're both already dressed; Stiles is in the suit that he insisted on bringing himself rather than leaving it to someone else, and Allison in the pale blue dress that Lydia and Kira helped her pick out, stopping just below her knees.

They both look good, he thinks, and definitely agrees that it was smart of them to bring their own clothes with them, unlike the majority of them. Stiles is definitely gonna gloat about that later.

The door closes now and that strange wave of quiet hits him the second it clicks into place, leaving him with the feeling as if they've been sealed inside. Brushing it off, he raises his eyebrows slightly in question at the two of them.

The look that they share before turning their eyes back on him gives him enough of an answer. 

"How's everything going up here?" he still asks as he walks further into the room, joining them.

"Why don't you ask him?" Stiles waves a hand at Derek. "He's the one who is completely convinced that this is all pointless and that we should — what were his words?" 

He turns to look at Allison at the last part, pretending to have forgotten, his eyebrows drawing together.

Her head tilts a little to the right, answering, "that we should call the whole thing off before we end up with our throats ripped out by a vengeful pack of werewolves, or in the middle of a hunter's trap."

Scott's eyebrows shoot up and Derek rolls his eyes in the mirror. 

As he finishes adjusting his tie, he says, "that's not what I said. I'm not that dramatic."

He then turns to face them as Scott hides his surprise at how calm he sounds compared to an hour ago. 

"So we paraphrased a little," Stiles throws a hand up, waving it in his direction, "it's pretty much what you said, and we should know considering we've been stuck here listening to you for the past hour."

He turns back to Scott as he adds, "is our shift of keeping the paranoid werewolf over? I will happily swap with someone and take Lydia bossing me around right now. Call Aiden up, I'm sure he'd enjoy this way more."

It's obvious by the way that he doesn't make a move to actually try and leave that he's exaggerating a little and doesn't mind as much as he says. Allison does smile a little though, pretending to try and suppress it.

"I don't need babysitters," Derek says, looking at the two of them pointedly. "And I think that Braeden being a bounty hunter and me being a Hale is enough to warrant a little bit of worry on our wedding day."

"That's it, I give up." Stiles throws his hands up in front of him as his exasperation slips into his voice. "Nothing will convince you so there is no point in trying."

Scott shoots him a look which is met with no response other than another gesture in Derek's direction.

"You don't need to worry," Scott says, turning back to Derek. "Lydia's got everything downstairs handled, and Argent has promised that no uninvited guests are getting in."

Derek's head tilts and the look on his face is unconvinced. It's at least a little less pronounced than it was half an hour ago. Maybe some of Allison's and Stiles' reassurances have been working after all. 

Scott can tell he wants to make a comment; probably about how it wouldn't be the first time werewolves have gotten past a hunter. And honestly, he wouldn't even try and argue if he did, because he himself knows he's right from experience. But he trusts Argent, and the sheriff, and especially Deaton. 

Either Derek does too or he decides it isn't worth continuing to point out where everything could go wrong.

He just nods as if accepting his words and letting it drop at that. Scott can't help but find the exasperation and disbelief on Stiles' and Allison's faces amusing.

Gesturing his head at the door, Scott says, "do you wanna come down and help? You guys have been up here for pretty much all day, and I'm sure Lydia can find something left for you to do." He looks directly at Derek. "It might be a good distraction until Braeden gets here, at least."

Derek doesn't really hesitate, just considers it for a second then seems to make up his mind and nod again. Stiles is already moving over to him and the door, Allison following, both obviously happy to accept. 

They head out of the room and back down the stairs, the others still moving around, putting the last little finishing touches to things. As soon as Lydia spots Derek at the bottom of the stairs, she's moving over to them and whisking him away, saying she needs his help with something only the groom can decide. 

Scott smiles a little, watching them disappear around the corner and presumably out of the house altogether.

He then turns to Stiles and Allison, both obviously in no hurry to go anywhere anytime soon. His mind comes back to the little bit of doubt that's lodged itself in the back, refusing to be shaken off.

"Hey, you definitely talked to Isaac, right?" he asks, his eyes shifting between the two of them. "I would have called him myself, but I had to figure everything out with Cora and it... took a while. He's coming though, right?"

Allison's the one who answers, nodding. "He is, he promised. His flight should have arrived about an hour ago, so—" she glances around, her eyes landing on the clock hung up on the opposite wall, "—he should be here in ten minutes."

"Is he gonna come back with a French accent?" Stiles asks, his face scrunching slightly as Scott relaxes. "I don't know how to deal with that. He's already tall and wears too many scarves, that's enough. He doesn't need to sound French as well."

"Hey, maybe Malia can have her mysterious French man after all," Allison jokes, and Stiles' eyes widen in horror. "It's not like she's met him before today, so who knows."

Scott grins as Stiles starts protesting, saying there's absolutely no way that Malia would ever fall for Isaac. Allison obviously disagrees. Scott's just glad that there's one less person he has to worry about not being here yet.

There are still five others to go, but with just under two hours until the wedding starts, he's sure they have enough time. Not including Mason, of course, who should be arriving any minute now if they're lucky.

Count on Beacon Hills to throw enough problems at them so that nearly half of the pack aren't even ready in the last two hours before the wedding is supposed to start. He's just hoping Braeden, Malia, and his mom are having better luck.

Timing seems to be something that's working out almost perfectly right now though.

He catches the sound of a car pulling up outside, and with it, Mason's scent. Hopefully, with the suits, and for his own sake, the cake that Lydia's been trying to find for the last three hours.

"I'll be back in a minute," he says to Allison and Stiles, quickly excusing himself and heading for the door. 

He gets to it and is out of the lakehouse before Mason's even two steps away from his car. There are at least five suits still in their bags piled on his arm while he tries to stretch back into the car to grab what Scott is assuming is the box with the cake in it.

Mason spots him as he quickly approaches, seeing how disastrously this could end. The relief is written all over his face as he stops. He smiles both in greeting and thanks when Scott starts slipping the bags off his arm and into his own as soon as he's by his side.

"Hey, I'm really sorry," Mason starts, his eyes wide as he gestures his hands in the air. "Liam called to ask me to pick up the cake because he forgot about it, and Malia wouldn't be able to get it since she's with Braeden, and I sort of got lost? I didn't even know we had a bakery, never mind where to find it. Did you know that it's right next to a diner? I didn't know we had one of those either."

"Don't worry about it," Scott says sincerely, grinning. "We still have plenty of time."

Mason's expression shifts back to one of utter relief, saying, "Oh good."

He turns back to the car, half-disappearing inside the back for a few seconds before he pulls out again, three more suit bags over his left arm and a box held steadily on the palm of his right. 

"Because, when Liam called, he did not sound okay," Mason continues as Scott eyes the box warily, mainly because of the size and how easy it would be for it to topple. "Like, I haven't heard him that nervous since... well, actually he always sounds nervous now. Usually because we're in danger."

Scott takes his eyes off of the cake to slip around him, closing the car door. He pauses once he does, his eyes sliding back over to Mason, one eyebrow arching at him.

Mason falters, his mouth opening and closing as he starts to shake his head. 

"Different kind of nervous though, obviously. First time at a wedding and being in charge of part of it." He lifts the arm with the suits, gesturing his hand toward Scott. "You get it. You must be super nervous, what with giving a speech and all as best man."

They start walking towards the lakehouse as Scott half-dips his head to the side for a second.

He'll admit, he's been thinking about it a lot since Derek asked him, much to his surprise. It was definitely unexpected, but he couldn't be happier that he would ask him. It's just still playing on his mind, that little bit of doubt in the back of his head worrying that he's going to mess something up.

Mason glances over at him, catching his eyes, and he sucks in a breath.

"Yeah, I guess I am pretty nervous," he admits, and Mason nods in understanding. "But in a good way. Honestly though. I don't think anyone's more nervous today than Derek."

Mason's eyebrows shoot up. "Really? Derek Hale is nervous? I don't think I've ever seen him anything close to nervous. Worried, yes, and that was only once. Every other time he's had that sort of unreadable, brooding look on his face, and I always think that he's about to tell us something's gone horribly wrong."

Scott can't help but grin at that. "Well, he is about to get married in just under two hours. He's worried about someone showing up and ruining it."

A thoughtful look crosses Mason's face, his head tilting a little to the side as they approach the front door. 

"I can see why. I mean, he's a werewolf, and part of one of the most well-known families in the werewolf community, which is absolutely a thing by the way, I checked."

He nods as if to make his words more convincing, then shrugs with one shoulder.

"Plus, Braeden's a literal bounty hunter, mainly of the supernatural. It's pretty likely that she's made an enemy of at least half of the supernatural population by this point."

They stop by the door, still slightly ajar from Scott not closing it properly. He stares at Mason, his eyebrows raising just a tiny bit, and Mason does that thing again where he tries to backtrack only to realize he can't. 

Scott just brushes it off, saying, "I get that. I just don't want him to be worrying about it today. He's supposed to be the one who doesn't have to think about all of that."

Mason nods again in understanding. A small smile curves his mouth.

"You're a good best man," he says. "Or... the best best man? Although, I guess that's sort of the point of being called the best man, since—" he cuts himself off, waving his free hand as he grins, "you know what? It doesn't matter. The point is that Derek's lucky to have you today."

Scott grins right back, ducking his head. At that exact moment, the door swings fully open, drawing both of their attention to it as Liam pauses in the doorway. 

The look of relief on his face is the same as the one Mason had just a few moments ago. 

"Oh thank god you're here," he says, his words coming out a little too fast. "Lydia was starting to ask questions and Aiden keeps looking at me like he's about to tear my head off, and I said I'm not scared of him, but have you seen him? He could rip me in half with one hand, and honestly, he would do it. With no hesitation."

Mason raises his eyebrows, his eyes sliding over to Scott. He just shakes his head slightly and gives a half-shrug. Liam's eyes finally land on the box in Mason's hand.

"Is that the cake?" 

"Uh, yeah," Mason nods, and Liam's already reaching out to take it, slipping it into both his hands. "Sorry I took so long, it's just... today's pretty crazy."

Liam makes a face, obviously agreeing. Scott's barely seen that much of him today with all the different things Lydia — and Stiles when he wasn't sent up with Allison to check up on Derek — has had him doing.

He glances at the bags on both his and Scott's arms. "Those the suits?" 

Mason nods, and barely gets the chance to open his mouth before there's a crash from inside the house. Scott's eyes widen, as do the both of theirs.

Liam turns slightly, peering back in through the door before turning back to them with a worried, almost anxious look on his face.

"Should probably get those in there," he says, nodding his head at the bags.

"Yeah, that seems like a good idea," Scott agrees without missing a beat, his own concern growing. The chances of this ending well are looking slimmer by the second.

Liam steps to the side, letting Mason quickly duck inside. He turns to Scott and shifts the cake box onto one hand, holding out his arm. 

"Gimme those," he says to him. "You should go in and get yours on. The best man shouldn't be the last one to get ready. At least that's what I'm guessing Lydia would say."

Scott can imagine she absolutely would. With a grateful smile and a quick thanks, he passes all but one of the suits over to Liam, pausing long enough to make sure they stay on his arm without the cake toppling. That would be all they need.

Then he takes his own suit and heads inside after Mason. He winds his way back through the house, the rest of the pack moving around to add the last of the finishing touches that mostly consist of adjusting bunting and carrying a few extra things that Lydia insists they need outside.

If anyone's tried to point out that they really don't need to go this all out, Lydia definitely wasn't listening. He's guessing Derek hasn't even bothered trying to protest at this point.

He makes his way up the stairs and to one of the rooms to get ready, the buzz of excitement that's filling the lakehouse following him even up there. The next few hours are going to be interesting.

* * *

 

Once he's finally in the suit and positive that he's ready, he heads back downstairs. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, he takes a second to adjust his shirt.

His eyes move over the room, a small smile on his lips at the few of the pack who remain inside, now simply passing time and resting. 

He's about to go and join the others outside, see if anything else needs to be done. The front door opens and he stops before he's even taken a step. The relief at the sight of the first person walking in hits him right away. He's already checking two people off the mental list he's been going over again and again in his head to make sure he definitely called and they confirmed. 

Isaac does a quick sweep of the room. As Boyd closes the door behind them, his eyes land on Scott, now approaching them. A smile lights up his face.

"I was worried you weren't gonna make it," Scott says before he's even fully reached them, his eyes shifting between the two of them as he smiles brightly at them. "Allison said you confirmed, but I mean... France?"

Isaac nods as Boyd steps up next to him now and Scott stops in front of the two of them.

"Yeah, France," Isaac agrees. "It's... very French, you know?"

Scott rolls his eyes, then he's pulling him in. Isaac happily wraps his arms around him as well, hugging him back. He still has to half-lean down, but he doesn't seem to mind. It lasts a few seconds, familiar and something that Scott's definitely missed since he left a couple of years ago. 

Then he pulls away, his eyes moving to Boyd. He directs his smile at him, and Boyd returns it, surprisingly warmer than it used to be. Something's obviously changed in the last few years, and Scott isn't complaining. 

Boyd's the one rolling his eyes now. "Come on, it's been two years and he gets a hug but I don't?"

Scott's eyebrows go up slightly. "I... wasn't sure you would want me to. You weren't exactly a fan of that sort of thing last time we saw each other."

"Things change," he says, his tone almost teasing. He opens his arms slightly. "Believe it or not, I actually missed this place. And the people, I guess."

Scott's smile widens and he takes the invitation, pretty much walking into the hug. It's a little more unfamiliar considering it's the first time he's ever hugged Boyd, but it feels normal. Like a piece of a puzzle slotting into place with ease, something clicking. It was already there from the moment he saw them walk in.

He nods his head toward the back door as he pulls away, dropping his arms.

"Derek's out back," he says. "Lydia's probably got him doing something that'll keep him distracted until Braeden gets here."

"He's nervous?" Isaac asks, arching an eyebrow as he doesn't even bother to try and conceal his surprise. 

Scott tilts his head. "More like worried." He receives two sets of confused looks and adds, "he thinks someone's going to try and ruin the wedding since he's a werewolf and Braeden's a Mercenary."

Both Isaac and Boyd make faces of understanding. Scott's beginning to think that maybe he's not so paranoid if every single member of the pack are agreeing with him. Not that he doesn't, but he would much rather not voice that and possibly send Derek into an actual spiral of worry. 

"I'll go find him in a minute," Isaac says, then gestures at him. "How have things been here? Allison calls and texts a lot, but I get the feeling she has a habit of leaving some details out when she's filling me in considering I haven't heard of one bad supernatural thing happening since I left."

Scott laughs at that, ducking his head. "Yeah, she's definitely left out a few things."

"I heard about some sort of..." Boyd shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowing as he tries to recall the word, "...half-werewolf, half-faceless thing?"

Scott and Isaac both stare at him, their eyebrows drawing together. He glances between the two of them and waves his hands vaguely at their similar looks of equal confusion.

"It had a weird name, alright? Something... a nuke?"

Scott makes a face. "The anuk-ite."

Boyd's face lights up in recognition and he nods. Isaac's eyes shift between the two of them, his confusion growing, obviously not clued into the same details as Boyd seems to be. 

"Yeah, Erica mentioned it a couple times, but she said she was staying out of the whole thing," Boyd says, and Scott can't say he blames her. Explains why he didn't see her around that often while it was still here. "Apparently it could turn people to stone?"

Isaac's eyebrows shoot up, blinking in surprise. "What the hell has been going on in this town? We leave for two years and you have faceless werewolves who can _turn people to stone_?"

Scott laughs again, which isn't quite the reaction he ever expected to have while talking about the anuk-ite. Especially not just three months after they got rid of it. 

"I'll catch you both up later, okay?" he says. "It's all a bit hard to explain right now. Especially the Beast of Gevaudan."

Both Boyd and Isaac obviously wanting to press that particular subject.

"Derek doesn't know that either of you are here," Scott continues. "I wanted to surprise him. I'm hoping that maybe seeing you two will make him a little less anxious."

Isaac nods in understanding before he gently nudges Boyd's arm with the back of his hand, gesturing his head in the direction of the back door. He then turns his eyes back on Scott. 

"I see you're stepping into the role as best man," he says, smiling widely, almost like he's teasing. "Honestly, I'm a little offended that he didn't ask me. But you seem to be doing a good job."

Scott grins, and Isaac rests a hand on his shoulder for just a second or two. 

"We'll see you outside, yeah?" he says, and squeezes gently. 

"Yeah," Scott agrees. "See you outside."

The both of them then walk away with one last smile at him, heading for the door. He watches their backs until they disappear outside. He's tempted to follow after them; there's not really much reason left to stay inside anyway.

He lingers for a few minutes more, checking up on the few people remaining inside. Everything's going well as far as he can tell. He then does a quick glance around the room before heading for the back door as well, walking outside.

It's the first time he's actually been out the back in at least two hours. He has to stop almost as soon as he leaves the house, blinking in surprise and also to see if he's imagining it all. The last time he checked, there were a couple of decorations, but apparently, that wasn't all Lydia had planned. 

The entire path down to the mini sheltered pier out at the water is decorated. Strings of lights and the typical wedding bunting that Lydia has somehow made look like it's far fancier than it should be hung from the trees, making the normal hill look like something out of a fairytale. 

He slowly continues, his head tilting to glance around at it all in amazement. Lydia definitely doesn't do anything by halves, that's for sure. Not that he ever had any doubt that she did; he just wasn't sure she would go all out for a wedding that even the bride and groom were uncertain about.

Despite everything he knows about both Derek and Braeden, he's pretty certain that they're going to love it. Even if neither of them will admit it out loud to anyone other than Lydia herself.

He follows the path, the sky already darkening above him by the time he reaches the few people standing down at the little wooden shelter. They're mostly all talking away, though Stiles has his phone in his hand so he's not so sure about what exactly he's doing. 

Isaac and Boyd are already with them, standing just outside with Derek and Allison. Allison's the first to notice him, her eyes landing on him as he approaches. A smile settles on her lips as her head tilts. He smiles right back, an instinctive reaction. She just seems to still have that effect on him.

Derek glances over at him a second before he reaches them. He's going to take the smile on his face as a good sign, as well as the fact that he can't sense one hint of worry from him. Joy, content, and a faint hint of surprise, but no worry.

"You invited them?" he asks, though his tone gives away that he already knows the answer.

"Yeah," Scott says, giving a half-shrug, his eyes darting to Isaac and Boyd. "I just thought you would want them here."

Derek's smile only grows. He rests a hand on Scott's shoulder and nods. It doesn't need to be said, the look enough to convey his silent gratitude.

Scott gives a slight nod back, that warm feeling settling in his stomach. The happiness that's taken over Derek's features is exactly what he had been hoping for.

As he turns back to Isaac and Boyd, starting to ask about France, Allison gently takes hold of Scott's arm, catching his attention. She gestures her head to the side and he gets the message.

With one last glance at the three of them, they slip off to the side, leaving them to catch up.

Scott's eyes linger on them even once they're standing half-inside the shelter, watching them talk away. Isaac's got that bright grin on his face as he says something.

Scott catches the words, "apparently French werewolves are a lot less murderous than the ones here," right before Derek and Boyd both laugh. 

"It's like they're their own pack again," he says, smiling, just a touch of satisfaction in his voice. 

Allison looks over at them, nodding. "All they need is for Lydia to release Erica from helping with the cake and they'll be complete again. It's so weird how much has changed since then."

Scott can't help but agree. Thinking back on it, so much has changed. Other things, not so much.

He's certain though that back then, when he was still a beta, and Derek was still an alpha of his own pack, he would never have even considered that he'd be standing at his wedding. Or that they'd all still be here to celebrate it. 

Allison leans in a little to lower her voice, her eyes staying on the three of them. 

"You did that, know you. Brought them back together. Lydia told me that Derek and Braeden weren't going to send out any invites to anyone, so they probably wouldn't even have known about this."

Scott smiles but shakes his head. "I can't take credit for that. You were the one who called Isaac after all."

"Alright," Allison rolls her eyes, "then getting those two here was a team effort. But the others are all on you." She grins. "I can't wait to see his face when they show up. If he was surprised at seeing Isaac and Boyd..."

"I just hope they get here in time," Scott says, his eyes sweeping over everything, taking in the people around them. 

"If you're worried about Cora," Stiles jumps in, slipping up next to him and waving his phone slightly, "she's on her way. Actually, she should be here, like, any second now."

Scott's eyebrows furrow and he's pretty sure Allison's expression is the same as his, both staring at him. 

"What?" Stiles asks, throwing his hands out. "I asked her to let me know when her flight got in so that when you started freaking out like the soon-to-be-married man over there, I could tell you there's nothing to worry about. And yes," he rolls his eyes as well, "I have her number. It doesn't matter that I had to get it from Malia, I have it."

The corners of Scott's mouth quirk up in amusement, simply raising his eyebrows.

He quickly brushes it off and lets himself relax at the thought that Cora's flight hasn't been delayed, or something's gone wrong on the way from South America. Where exactly in South America she's been this entire time, he's not sure. She agreed to talk more in person.

"And, just in case," Stiles adds, "I've been checking the flights and the traffic from London. Nothing has been delayed, and even if Jackson, as his obnoxious self would, decides to drive up in his stupid Porsche, they shouldn't have any problems with getting stuck in traffic or anything."

"Are you sure you aren't the one freaking out about them being late?" Allison asks, her eyes narrowing teasingly.

Stiles scoffs, staring at her as if she's just insulted him in the worst way possible. Scott bites the inside of his cheek as he grins.

"Please, those two could never show up for all I care," he says, and gestures his phone vaguely at the two of them. "I just really don't like the idea of having to spend the next however many minutes listening to you two worrying about it. Derek and Lydia already have that area covered, already? We do not need any more worrying at this wedding."

"Well, we should probably worry about the fact that Jackson's probably just sat through an eleven-hour flight," Allison says. "I've only seen him once when he's been tired. It wasn't a fun conversation."

Stiles groans and Scott's definitely in agreement with him on that one. He's hoping that everything will be fine once they get here. When, and not if, because he's positive they're on their way. 

He recalls the phone call he had with Jackson a couple of weeks ago as Stiles says something about how it's not too early to leave. It surprised him just how happy Jackson sounded, how easily he agreed to get a flight back for today.

A part of him had kind of thought that with everything that happened with the anuk-ite, he wouldn't be all that keen on returning. 

As Jackson had pointed out though when Scott questioned it, he and Derek are family. Since finding out that everything he knew about his birth parents was a lie and that he's actually a Hale, he and Derek have been... better, in a way. Scott thinks they're both just secretly happier to have a little more family than they thought.

He slips his phone out of his pocket, glancing at the screen for any texts from either him or Cora. 

"I'm just saying, I'm mostly staying for the cake," Stiles says to Allison. "And because if I left, I'd have nothing to do, so. Plus, you know — this might be the only wedding that happens in this town."

Scott looks up at him now. He raises his eyebrows, catching his eye.

Stiles falters, and Scott listens as his heart jumps a few beats, quickening. 

"I'm being realistic here," he says, waving his hands vaguely. "I'm surprised this one is going so well. There's no chance that the universe is ever going to let us get another day like this, and we all know it."

"It might," Allison argues. "I know you love to be pessimistic but there's always a chance of another wedding happening in this town. We're not cursed, as much as you like to pretend we are."

"Okay, while you two debate the existence of this town's curse on our happiness," Scott holds his phone up, already going into his contacts, "I'm just gonna give Cora a call. Make sure everything's okay."

Stiles rolls his eyes and obviously wants to protest but doesn't. He just nods and shoots him a small smile before turning back to Allison and hurrying to give his reasons for how wrong she is. She's quick to counter.

Scott lingers for just a second, watching them with a smile of his own.

Their passion for proving each other wrong never fails to amuse him, especially when it's over the tiniest thing. He's just glad for once he's not getting dragged into the middle of it over a call. Being asked to take a side never ends well for him, unless they're in the same room.

It's a lot easier to calm them when he's in kissing or hugging range.

He then moves away, turning his back on them as he clicks on Cora's name and pulls up her number. His phone rings as he quickly holds it up to his ear, his teeth catching his lip.

He knows that nothing's wrong; Lydia would have been able to tell, and since she woke up, she's been a constant whirlwind of reassurance that everything is going exactly as it should. He's learned to trust her intuition.

The call connects and right away, Scott's met with the sound of arguing. His eyebrows furrow, head tilting in confusion. Then comes Cora's voice. 

"Will you two shut up? God, now I know what it feels like to be able to complain about having the most annoying family."

Scott can't help but grin at that, waiting. He can already guess who she's talking to by the huff in the background and the muttering of, _"where do you get this arrogance and constant ability to be so annoying from?"_

It's followed by an accusing, _"obviously you,"_ and the arguing almost starts up all over again. 

"They're driving me insane," Cora says, into the phone now. By the way the voices in the background become distant, he's assuming she decided to walk ahead of them. "I should never have asked Peter to come and pick me up from the airport. I thought family bonding could be nice, but apparently, his and Jackson's definition of bonding is arguing at every chance they get."

"That can't have been a fun drive," Scott says with a light chuckle. "Did you guys arrive at the same time then?"

"Unfortunately," Cora says, and Scott grins, picturing the scowl that she absolutely has on her face right now. "He was going to drive up here himself, since he's so insistent that he's been here a million times, but then Peter showed up and somehow we ended up in the same car. Remind me never to let that happen again."

"I will," Scott says, nodding even if she can't see him.

He's only had to deal with Jackson and Peter being in the same room once before. He can only imagine what being stuck in a car with the both of them for nearly four hours would be like. 

Something crosses mind and his eyebrows are drawing together again. 

"Wait, you said 'here'?"

Scott's already turning around before Cora's reply comes. The scent that he catches his sense should have tipped him off before.

His eyes quickly scan over the area before landing on exactly what he's looking for, up at the back door of the house. 

"Yeah, I was gonna try and sneak up on you, but I guess that's off the table now," she says as their eyes meet. "Thanks for ruining my plan. Watching you, Stiles, and hopefully Argent jump out of your skins was the only thing keeping me going in that car."

Her mouth curves up into a grin that he's still not used to seeing, and she hangs up. Scott quickly slips his phone back into his pocket as she starts walking down the hill to join him.

He notices the three other people trailing behind her, and the noticeable amount of distance that Jackson and Peter appear to have put between themselves. For the best, Scott's sure.

Cora reaches him and comes to a stop just in front of him. He pauses for just a second, but then she's raising her eyebrows a little and he takes the signal and hugs her.

It's quick and short, but even once they pull away, Scott's left with that warmth in his chest he's been getting all day whenever a member of the pack shows up.

Derek refers to it as an Alpha thing, but Scott just thinks of it as being happy that the pack are all in the same place for the first time in so long. For once, it's under good circumstances. 

"I'm glad you could make it," he tells her sincerely, his hands lingering on her arms. "I know Derek will be too. Just... might have to pull him away from talking about France."

Cora arches an eyebrow at him in confusion, then turns, looking over at him. Derek's still turned away from them, probably not even having noticed her walk down. She rolls her eyes, but the faint smile on her lips says enough. 

"At least he's not brooding and thinking of all the ways that the world could ruin this for him," she says, turning back to him. "He has a habit of doing that when something's going right."

Scott tilts his head, staying quiet. She rolls her eyes again, more out of exasperation this time.

"He really doesn't understand the words positivity or optimism, does he?" she asks, obviously rhetorical as Stiles appears beside them, Allison with him and their argument clearly over.

Judging by the smug look on her face, Allison won. 

"If we're talking about your big bad wolf of a brother, then no, he really doesn't," Stiles says, then pauses. His eyes narrow, that thoughtful look crossing as his face as he looks at Cora. "Will you punch me if I say you look nice?"

"No, but better not risk making these two jealous," she says, glancing between Scott and Allison and receiving eye-rolls from both of them. "You three look nice, too. Do you know how hard it was to get back out of Derek's loft like this though?"

She pulls slightly at the edges of the dark green dress, her face scrunching. Then she gives a half-shrug, letting her hands fall back to her sides. She turns her head again, throwing another glance at him over her shoulder before turning back to them with a curious look on her face.

"Do you think he'd notice if I snuck up on him?" she asks. "I used to do it when we were kids, but I feel like he's more likely to break my arm as a reflex now than he is to give me a piggyback ride."

"I'm sorry, did you just imply that Derek was actually fun once upon a time?" Stiles questions in partially mock shock and confusion.

Scott's eyes focus behind her as Cora rolls her own at Stiles' comment. 

"I think that it's a bit late to find out," he says, and nods his head behind her.

"Cora?"

Her eyes widen slightly and she turns around. Scott watches Derek go through so many different emotions at once, starting off with disbelief and confusion, and ending with a look of surprised happiness settling into his features. There's a touch of relief somewhere in his eyes as well, easily mistaken for the shine of an unshed tear or two. 

Then he's quickly moving closer and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in. She makes a noise of surprise and Scott smiles, watching as she pauses for a second then hugs back. 

"I couldn't get a hold of you," Derek says into her shoulder. "I thought..."

He pulls back, holding her at arm's length, his eyebrows furrowing. 

"How did you even know about this?"

Cora turns her head, looking over her shoulder at Scott. Derek's eyes are already following, catching on as soon as the words leave his mouth.

That same look of silent thanks from with Isaac and Boyd is on his face again, and Scott smiles, ducking his head. It doesn't seem to be enough for Derek this time though.

He drops his hands, moving around Cora, and then Scott's the one being pulled in with Derek's arms around him.

Scott hugs him back, that warm tingling starting from where Derek's hands land, even through his suit. He understands the strong wave of emotions, even if Derek doesn't seem to be able to work them out into words. 

"Thank you," he says quietly, the words pressed into his shoulder. 

Scott nods and gives him a gentle squeeze in response. Then Derek pulls back, blinking as his arms fall back to his sides. He quickly regains himself and turns to be able to look at Cora. 

"I'm really happy you're here," he says, and she smiles. "It wouldn't have been the same if you wer—"

"Okay, I'd advise saving the family reunion, sentimentality stuff for later," Stiles quickly cuts in, eyes widening, "because your soon-to-be wife is officially here, which I'm pretty sure means the wedding has started."

He points up towards the house, and all their eyes follow. Sure enough, Braeden's standing there, turned slightly away from them as she seems to wait for something. Malia and Scott's mom slip out the door and linger for just a second, talking to her. 

"Hurry, go, go," Scott says, quickly giving Derek a light push towards where he's supposed to be waiting, Cora doing the same. 

Derek listens and moves inside of the shelter, stopping at the end of the mini pier where Deaton's already standing, waiting to officiate. Scott was the one who suggested it; after everything that happened in the past with him and Derek's family, and Deaton saying he would be happy to do it, it seemed fitting.

Malia and his mom quickly slip part Braeden, walking down to join the rest of them. They're all quickly moving to seat themselves at the tables set up, strings of lanterns above them, a path right down from the house to Derek left clear.

Braeden turns now, her eyes darting over all of them. Then they land on Derek, waiting for her. 

The smiles on the both of their faces as she starts walking towards him down the makeshift aisle has Scott's growing until his face hurts in the best way possible. It's probably the happiest he's ever seen the two of them and that's only reinforced by the slight shift in the air, the way the warmth and tingling cling to him like it's enveloping him. 

That same shine from before has found its way back into Derek's eyes, and it stays there even once Braeden reaches him. They take a second or three, something passing between them.

Then Deaton glances between them and asks if they're ready to start. 

With the sky dark above them, the lanterns all around them casting a soft glow across them and the lake, and the whole pack together for the first time in so long, they start. When it comes to the part for the rings, Scott pulls them from his pocket and hands them over to Derek. 

He nods in thanks and smiles back, then turns and hands one to Braeden. They slip them on each other's fingers, because apparently even werewolves and mercenary's stick to some of the more traditional parts of the ceremony. Then they finish the wedding with the kiss that binds the whole thing together.

Scott thinks it's safe to say he isn't the only one with a stray tear or two. One of them is finally getting the happy ending they deserve, and he can't help but think that it's only right that it's Derek. 

After it's over, most of them linger outside for a little while longer, including Derek and Braeden. It's a nice night, and Scott thinks that none of them are quite ready to let it be over yet.

As Lydia said when she was talking them into it: this might be the one night they get like this. Scott's happy to savour it for as long as it lasts. 

He ends up standing next to the lake with Stiles, Allison, and Lydia. She's finally wound down a little and enjoying the night like the rest of them, sipping from the glass of what he thinks is possibly champagne. They were all handed one a little while ago, but Scott's mostly been holding his and taking a sip every so often as he glances around.

A part of him can't help but find it amusing when his eyes land on Malia a little way away from them, mid-conversation with Isaac. From the looks of it, they're hitting it off fairly well. Allison's smug glance at Stiles and his scowl accompanied by a roll of his eyes tell him that they notice, too.

He then spots his mom approaching them and his smile widens at the sight of her own.

"You guys did a really good job with setting this whole thing up," she says once she stops, her eyes shifting between the four of them. "I don't think I've ever seen Derek smile like that."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Stiles says with a lopsided grin, a similar one spreading across Allison's face. "I just can't believe it went so well. No offence to either of you—" he looks at Scott, then Lydia, "—but I really thought something was going to jump up and ruin something. Beacon Hills actually cooperated."

"Well, I can believe that," his mom says, looking back at Scott now. "It was really nice of you to get in touch with Cora for him, by the way. And Isaac, who I just stopped talking about France with. Who knew they had so many werewolves?"

Scott laughs lightly at that, ducking his head as he nods. A smile settles on his face and he sighs.

"I just thought he deserved to have his family here," he says. His eyes drift slightly and he raises his eyebrows. "Even if that includes those two."

They all turn their attention to where he's looking. Jackson and Peter have similar looks of disdain on their faces as they talk to each other; it's probably more of an argument though, knowing them. Meanwhile, Ethan stands off to the side, throwing a glance at them before rolling his eyes and turning back to Aiden who doesn't even bother to hide his amusement.

"Yeah," Lydia says slowly, "that was always gonna be a disaster. An unavoidable one, unfortunately. It's surprisingly difficult to keep them a safe distance from each other."

They all seem to be in agreement with her on that.

His mom turns back to him. She smiles at him again, a flicker in her eyes.

"I'm really proud of you, Scott," she says sincerely. "You were an amazing friend to Derek today, and I'm sure he and Braeden both appreciate it."

Scott ducks his head again, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he glances over in Derek and Braeden's direction. His mom pulls him into a half-hug, keeping her own glass of champagne off to the side.

"Alright then," she says with a sigh, pulling back. "I am going to go and find the cake. I haven't eaten since yesterday. I forgot how long getting a bride ready for her wedding takes."

She slips away with one last smile directed at all of them, leaving the four of them alone once again. 

"Today really was a success," Stiles says, looking around at them all. 

"Yeah, it was," Allison agrees, that little flicker in her eyes. The smile on her lips communicates her thoughts perfectly.

"Who knows," Lydia says, shrugging with one shoulder as a half-smirk, half-smile tugs at the corners of her mouth, "maybe the next one will go just as smoothly. If this one could work out, then why not another?"

Scott smiles at that. "Yeah, I think you're right. It would be nice to do this again."

A quiet falls over them at that. It's nice. Comfortable, even, and there's an understanding hanging in the air, their gazes shifting between each other. 

Stiles gently bumps into his shoulder, only to send him that lopsided smile before slipping an arm around his waist. Scott returns the smile happily. He notices his and Allison's hands brushing when he glances down, the movement of their fingers hooking over each other, entwining together. Meanwhile, Lydia leans into Allison's side, that softness to her eyes when Allison looks at her. It's a look that Scott never used to see, and yet, has now even had directed at him many times.

He looks at the three of them properly. That contentment he felt from Derek and Braeden sinks into his skin, settling in his chest and spreading wherever it can reach, a swooping in his stomach accompanying it.

He lets his eyes drift away, wandering over the rest of their friends still lingering as Lydia moves onto a new topic of conversation. His gaze lands on Derek and Braeden, and it's like everything's just right for once.

They look happy. He can sense it, confirming it for him.

Beacon Hills has finally had a little bit of happiness restored it, after everything that it's put them through. A touch of hope that almost everyone thought was lost long ago. Scott had remained optimistic though.

Finally, it's proven that they can get their happy endings, even if it's one by one and is slower than they would like. The wedding today has only ignited a flame that Scott refuses to let burn out. A flicker of light in the midst of the darkness that this town seems to constantly throw at them.

Even if the town really is cursed, he's sure that they're all going to get their happy endings eventually. He's already found his with the three people in front of him, as well as everyone around him. He's more than happy to watch everyone he loves in his life get the ones they deserve after everything they've all had to endure.


End file.
